Playboy
by haloangel21
Summary: Prime. Vince just wants to pummel a certain somebody for embarrassing him to the entire school body. Instead, he finds himself in a war with the Autobots and the Decepticons. Oh, yeah, and Jack Darby was included in it all along! Just how bad was his day going to get?
1. Chapter 1

**Playboy**

A _Transformers: Prime _fanfic by haloangel21

(10/9/12) Author's Note: I've had this idea in my head for a while, and wanted to try it out.

* * *

Chapter 1

I can't believe it. Principal Moore sentenced me to detention with the Darby loser. At first, I wondered why I was forced to spend that time with the wimp, but I understood 'cause he apparently found out about our little match a few months ago. "It's for your own good, Vince," he says all the time. He says it was time that I took responsibility for my actions. He just doesn't see that I don't follow those words. Responsibility? Hah! Who would be stupid to do that?

My eyes wandered to his seat in the middle. That was just like him, being a teacher's pet, blah, blah, blah. Just who did he think he was? Some hero? Puh-lease. He doesn't have any muscles to prove it! I heard his mechanical pencil tapping endlessly on a piece of paper on his desk. Probably getting his homework done, I assume. Great. What a geek. He wasn't a genius, but he knew some basic stuff. At least he was getting good grades, while mine sucked. Hey, can't blame a guy for trying, can you? A sudden surge of anger rushed through me, as I narrowed my eyes at the back of his head. Crumbling a piece of free paper into a ball in my hand, I smirked. The detention teacher, Mr. Hanson, was probably emailing his girlfriend or something, 'cause his eyes were glued to the computer screen. It almost made me want to throw up. Mr. Hanson? On a _date_? I took another look at him. A bit overweight, smelly, bald. I would be surprised if he did have a girlfriend.

A honk to my right, out the window, alerted me. Curiously, I looked out and was close to pummeling that idiot, Trevor, out of range. His smirks sometimes made me feel worse on my bad days. Today was one of them. He smirked, and for that, I felt the urging need to wipe it off his face. Sudden giggling told me that Trevor wasn't alone. Glancing back at the teacher and shrugging it off when he still wasn't looking, I rested my arms on the ledge of the window, the only thing open to the world of the school. My heart stopped. It was Sierra and her friend. The red-head smiled sheepishly. I knew she was faking of not being into me. Her friend at her side waved a gesture that I returned. Once my hand dropped, Trevor laughed. His eyes were teasing. I only scowled. What was he so happy about?

"How much longer, dude?" He asked.

His question forced me to sigh. One more hour. "Detention sucks, man. One hour left."

His face froze, but his pupils shone playfully. "Oh."

"_Oh_?" I repeated, an eyebrow raised. He suddenly backed off. "What do you mean by "'oh'?" He gave a nervous laugh before answering,

"Bailey Bridget, you know her, right?" I nodded in confirmation. She was hot, and once a student here. But she moved away at the end of freshman year. "Well, I bumped into her earlier on the way to school, and she said hi. She said she came back 'cause her dad got a transferring job. Said she's holding a party tonight at 10 at her new place. You in?"

I blinked. Not only at Trevor, but at Sierra. What did she think of my business with Bailey? Her face remained the same: just calm, with a tiny hint of a smile. I'll never understand girls. They're just so…mysterious…in a bad way. Looking back at Trevor, I grinned and the two of us did our own handshake: grabbing each other's hand, and patting one another's backs. "I'm in," I said. He grinned.

"Awesome. See ya tonight!" Trevor hopped along to his Army green Jeep car, and ignited the engine. With that, he drove off with Sierra and her friend inside, leaving specks of dust and dirt behind. I watched them leave for the road, disappearing under the green light. All I could think of was Bailey. God, why did she move away? I barely had enough time to ask her out! But that was all going to change. Tonight was going to be my big moment, and I smiled at the thought.

"_Psst_! Vince!"

Huh? I turned myself around to find the Darby wimp at his seat, expression hardening when we looked at each other face-to-face. "Whaddayawant, Darby?"

He frowned more, brows digging deeper into his skin. "You should get back to your seat before Mr. Hanson finds you missing—"

"Don't tell me what to do, Darby. I can do what I want whenever I want. Got it?" I shot back. His coal eyes widened at my snappy attitude. I didn't have time to argue with a loser! We both may be in the same year and the same age ranges, but I was higher that he was, in popularity. What right could he possibly give on me? The wimp still said nothing and turned away. Hmph. The nerve of that geek. He's on the edge at one point, and then the next, believes that he's no match for me. Hah. Nice try, pal.

The door opened so suddenly, and I looked up to see who the newbie was. My scowl burrowed deeper as I glared at the female. Oh. It was one of Darby's wannabe friends. She stuck a tongue out at me instantly the second we set eyes on each other. I guess she wasn't pleased being stuck in detention with me. I rolled my eyes at her move. One word: Annoying.

Mr. Hanson looked up from his screen, and muttered, "Miss Nakadai." The girl shrugged. "If you could find a seat anywhere…" he drifted off as he rubbed his eyes. I shook my head in satisfaction. She was the most frequent troublemaker at school since day one. Every time I was stuck in detention, I often heard teachers groaning at the sight of her. They barely had enough energy to hold her in here.

She glared venomously at me, which I so happily returned to her, stopped to find Darby in his seat. Frozen glares melted away as she beamed at him, and sat in the seat on his right. "Hi, Jack!" Her high-pitched voice nearly sent me headaches. So loud! Darby mumbled a hello back. His darkened voice had me wondering what the hell was wrong with him. Realizing what I said, I shook it off. Since when did I care about Darby? Sure. We were best friends till he changed. It wasn't my fault! Darby was nice to me when we were in kindergarten, the two of us playing blocks. Both of us were wimps all throughout middle school. By the time that ended, I felt I needed to change my wardrobe up. Goodbye childhood. Hello freedom! Glancing at the clock, I sighed heavily. 3:15! Still an hour left. Darby's and that girl's voices were hushed, almost like whispering. My eyes narrowed. What were they _talking _about? Secrets too precious to be let out, maybe? Curiously, I leaned (while pretending to not notice) into their conversation.

"…Bulkhead says…"

"Right. And what…Ratchet? What…he do?"

She sighed. "...Right."

"At least…Optimus." Darby breathed.

I frowned. They were talking gibberish! Who were…Bulkhead, Ratchet, and Optamush? Some strangers they knew? Snorting, I smirked and leaned back into my seat, my head resting in my hands. I could settle for a nap if I was to be stuck here for an hour. After all, I needed my beauty sleep, if I was to impress my dream girl tonight.

* * *

Finally, 4:15! Mr. Hanson let us out of the classroom (about time!) and all we did was scatter like little kids. My smile grew bigger and bigger the closer I got to the main entrance. I had a good feeling about this. Bailey would be there in all her hotness after coming back. This could be my only chance! Walking down the steps of the stairs to the pavement, I spotted my too valuable sports car in the parking lot. It sat there in all its glory, the sun reflecting off the paintjob. My parents gave me the car as a present for my sweet 16 birthday months ago, about one month before Darby and I did our match, and I couldn't be any happier. As I made my way across, I took notice of a familiar vehicle sitting nearby my car: Darby's blue motorcycle. I froze. What was it doing _here_? Next to it was a green ATV car. It was enormous, much larger than the bike. Before I could utter a swear word out, Darby and the Japanese girl brushed past me.

"Bulkhead!" she called to the green car. To my surprise, the green car's headlights flashed. Okay. What was _that_? Did I just see-?

"Arcee, what's up?" Darby greeted his bike. Why was he talking to his motorcycle? These people must be insane! I watched Darby's face for a moment. Clearly, he was waiting for a response, and suddenly laughed, as if the bike said something funny back to him. I wanted to hide. Camouflage myself so he didn't see me noticing the strangest thing to ever happen. But he never looked up. Instead, he walked over to the bike's side, put his helmet on, and sat down on the seat. Just as Darby sat his bum on the cushions, the bike roared to life. H-how? I didn't see him put a key in the ignition! How was it possible that it started up on its own? He backed out of the parking space, and revved his way out. The green car, with the girl inside, followed him and his modem. I just stood there. Frozen in my spot. Geez. I must be experiencing hallucinations. Just what I needed.

I shook my head to get myself back together. This isn't what I wanted, being dizzy and missing the opportunity to get the girl at the party. I've wanted to ask her out for _years_, and Darby wasn't going to ruin it for me! Scoffing at his "spectacular" performance, I dug a hand into my jean pocket, and brought out a key ring. The key ring had both my ignition starter and my house key. The other model was to lock/unlock it. Pressing the "unlock" button, I heard the car releasing the security doors for me. Even the headlights flashed out.

It greeted me. Like I was its master. Opening the driver's side door, I got in, buckled my seatbelt up, started the engine with a swift flick of the key inserted, and slowly backed out of the space. Once I was out, I shifted the gear to "drive," and steered the wheel to the left. The car obeyed my request and swerved to the proposed direction. We exited off the school property and onto the road. The radio played Beatles music, stuff that I knew about. Several songs continued on while on the road for home. I had a good feeling that my chances of asking Bailey Bridget out were going to be huge! I could hardly wait!

* * *

So…tell me what you think? :D

-Halo


	2. Chapter 2

**Playboy**

(10/18/12) First of all, I'd like to thank those who took their time to review, fave, or put this story/or me on their alert lists. You guys are straight-up awesome!

Second, there is a possibility that I won't update for a while, due to being swamped with homework, projects and art requests on DeviantART (username is the same as this one). Not to mention that a friend of mine is getting their fanfic published into a book for free, where my art will be viewed in the back as thank you's (which I am ecstatic for!) and my birthday happens to be tomorrow. Yippie. =.=" Not exactly quite ready to hit the big 18.

Third and lastly, someone last chapter asked if Smokescreen would be included in this story at all. The answer is yes. Smokescreen will be included, but he will not make any appearances yet, because I have other plans of how Vince will be introduced to the Autobots. OK. 'Nuff 'bout me. Here is Chapter 2!

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Chapter 2

_Ding-dong_!

Tap-tap…tap-tap…

I waited patiently on the porch of her new place for the door to open. The house was bigger than the small apartment that she and her dad used to live in. Red bricks made up the shape of it; the lamps outside the garage were the eyes and the garage being the mouth. While I waited, I took my cell phone out of my pocket, opened the lid, and began to tap on the keyboard in the text message.

_Dude where r u_

Minutes after I sent my text, the phone played a snazzy tune, alerting me that I had a reply. I looked at the screen. Trevor. Huffing in annoyance, I opened the lid to view what he had to say. Trevor liked to be fashionably late.

_Almost there. 5 m away_

Obviously. He tells me he's almost to the house. Hmph.

_Better b_

Sighing heavily, I returned the phone to my pocket and waited in silence. The night was a bit chilly, but mostly warm. My foot started to tap impatiently, and I felt the instant need to bust that white door down. No. NO! Get a hold of yourself, Vince! You're here at Bailey Bridget's house, to party and ask her out! Don't you walk away. Do not walk away. If I did, everyone at school will laugh and joke about how I left in a hurry without crashing it my style. That must not happen. Just as I almost turned away, the front door clicked audibly to my ears, and let out a gust of cold air. Okay. Maybe I should've taken an extra jacket. I prevented myself from visibly shaking (it was uncool).

A girl with long brunette curls, a purple dress, cowboy boots, and an unsure face came into my view. Ohhhh. Bailey. Or some other random girl.

"Can I help you?" she asked.

She didn't remember me? Not Little Vinny that grew up to be a hunk? I flinched. Crap.

"Uhm…hi, Bailey…right?" She nodded. I relaxed. It was her! And man, did she look hotter than before! "It's me." Bailey lifted an eyebrow in confusion, so I gave her more details. "You know…Little Vinny who got socked in the eye when we were in middle school?" She still didn't offer an answer and I went in deeper. "Like a bunch of times 'cause I wanted to play super-hero?"

"…Vince?" Her lip-glossed up mouth tingled into a smile. God, I hope Trevor didn't hear that. I took a glance to my side and observed the driveway. Trevor's Jeep wasn't here yet. Whew! Safe for now. Trevor was also known to start rumors and I didn't want him to hear of my dorky past. Gotta be all tough guy here! Keep my reputation and all as a guy who doesn't take no for an answer. "Is that you?"

Bailey. "Oh. Yeah." I flashed her a smile while one of my eyes winked at her, "It's me, Bailey." Idiot!

"You've…changed. A lot." Bailey inspected more closely. Have I? Of course, of course.

"Yup, but it's still the same Vince you've lately heard around school, right?" Please say yes, please say yes, please say yes!

"No."

No? Bummed out, I let my shoulders sag down. I thought Trevor said she knew me. Jerk.

"But…"

But? I lifted my head up in hope.

"Trevor did say that you were one of his friends and that he invited you to this party, right?"

Uh… "Right," I said.

Her face beamed up, and I felt my mouth smiling, too. Why were these things so hard? "Great. Come on in." She led me into her house with a hand. My eyes wandered to her curved hips. They swayed from side to side so gracefully. Man, how did she do it? I was so focused on her that I didn't notice other people inside, dancing the night away under the changing light colors. A disco ball was hung next to the light colors on the wall, reflecting the lights off on the crowd and the walls. Music blared from the speakers of the stereo nearby, playing a mix of Black Eyed Peas and Linkin Park. I didn't know which was which that currently blared out loud, 'cause I was too focused on my dream girl. Come on, Vince. Just make your move and get it the hell over with.

Before I could say anything, Bailey sat me down on a couch. She then said she'd be right back, and went off to fetch drinks. That's when I noticed that nearly everyone in the room had a glass of beer in their hands. Some laughed as they cheered, while others set up a contest to see who could drink up to six glasses of alcohol. Geez. I was very disgusted, but I didn't let my guard down. My face remained the same: Smirking at their playtime. Morons. Idiots. Whatever.

My eyes scanned the crowd for Bailey, hoping that she would come back. Instead, I found Trevor. He pushed his way through the crowd towards me, almost at running speed, with a few hot ladies following him. So. This was what made him so fashionably late? I wanted to just stand up and break off his fucking jaw for that, but I restrained myself. Why? Let's just say that Trevor and I are "friends." We're not really that close, but we were still cool. Cool like Darby and I were. Great. I was thinking of the wimp again. His widened eyes from earlier flashed in my mind. Argh. Shut up. Shut up, I told my brain repeatedly. It never stopped. So I did my best to ignore it.

"Vince! Dude!" Trevor called. He finally caught up to me, and panted hard. I lifted a brow in confusion of why he ran.

"Trevor," I greeted.

"Dude, you'll never believe this but…" he stopped to take some breaths in, "…but…" More gasps for air. Annoyed, I frowned.

"What?" I asked bitterly.

Finally, he stopped gasping and said, "Darby's here." I froze. Darby? The wimp at school Darby? My former best friend? Suddenly, my blood started to boil. The traitor himself was _here_ at the party? But why? I didn't know exactly the reasoning, but all I knew was that my fists were itching to show him both the door and the way back to his miserable little life. Looking up at Trevor, I glared at him. He somehow got my message and spilled the info. "Turns out that Bailey invited him."

Bailey? My Bailey? She invited that…that…that geek? Why, that little…then I remembered one day in the 8th grade year, we were passing notes in class (while the teacher wasn't looking) and she told me to tell Darby that she thought he was cute. Even asked him if he wanted to take her out on a date, which he apparently had no answer to. I guess she was still waiting. But I could see that Darby had eyes only for Sierra. Why not me? She didn't give me a chance to tell her what I thought of her!

"Vince?"

I snapped out of my memories and back into reality. Trevor still stood, worriedness plastered onto his face. What was he so worried about? But we were "best friends" so I had to give him the right to worry a little. After all, we both had each other's backs if either one of us fell, right? "I'm fine," I managed to say, "Where's he?"

"…Who?"

I frowned. "Darby." I stated clearly. Trevor had the attention span of a chipmunk.

He was about to say something when Bailey returned, two red plastic cups in her hands. "Hey, guys. Enjoying the party so far?"

Trevor instantly agreed. "Oh, yeah. Definitely." I face palmed myself. Could this guy get any dumber? Bailey turned to me, a sweet smile on her face.

"What about you, Vince? Are you liking it?"

"It's great," I smiled. She grinned more.

"Awesome. Vince, here's your drink." She handed me one of the cups, which I happily took, then lifted her cup into the air, and murmured, "Cheers to us." U-us? She waited for me to clink my cup to hers. I grinned more and did the same.

"Cheers." Our cups clanked against each other. Bailey brought the cup to her lips and drank. I only looked at mine. It was fuzzy and oddly colored. Probably bad lighting in here or something. Shrugging it off, I brought my plastic cup to my mouth and drank. But just as I started to taste it, I spat it out, coughing harsh fully. As if he thought I was going to choke to death, Trevor thumped my back. I coughed harder, trying to get my lungs clear. What was _that _stuff?

"Oops," Bailey started to say nervously, and blushed, "I forgot to warn you. That stuff's beer." Beer?! Are you kidding me?! Why on Earth would you give me this! "Are you okay?" Yeah, yeah, I'm fine. Thanks for asking that when I could've died! She suddenly giggled. "You're funny when you breathe like that!" I do NOT!

Besides me, Trevor was silent as he stared the girl down, and continued to free my back of the coughs. I concluded that she was drunk. Very drunk. "You okay, Vince?"

Breathing more normally now, I nodded. "I'm fine," I said hoarsefully. "I'm gonna go find a bathroom to wash my mouth out." He nodded, understanding my issue, and let go. At first, I stumbled a little, but on the next step, I was walking just fine. Whew. That stuff was strong. Thankfully, I didn't drink more than just a tiny sip. I needed to find some real water and fast. While they didn't look my way, I raced to find a bathroom. Water! I need water! It burns! As I turned a corner in one hallway, I came crashing into someone else. The jerk! Should've watched where he was going! Just as I was about to tell him off, familiar black hair and coal eyes met my own. It was Darby.

"Oh, sorry, Vince," He tried to help me up, but I waved him off. When was he going to stop apologizing?! He was a geek, and always will be. Except that I did a double take. Darby was, surprisingly, in a blue shirt than his gray one, covered by a brown jacket. But he still wore those worn out sneakers. So that was a no-no. Overall, he somehow changed.

"I'm fine, loser. You don't have to keep asking me that." I turned my back on him, and straightened myself up.

"Are you sure?"

Sighing in annoyance, I hissed out, "Yeah." Why won't he just go away, so he can leave me the frickin' alone? As if he read my thoughts, Darby muttered out an 'ok' and left me be. I sighed. This was going to be a long night.

* * *

After ten minutes or so of ridding the horrible taste of beer out of my mouth, I came sauntering back to Bailey. She was still drunk from all the alcohol she had access to (from what I heard, they came from her dad's basement), but that didn't stop me from completing my mission: asking her out. I spotted her by her old friends, slurring each word out, which confused the others of what she was trying to say. Bailey. As I made my way across the room towards her, my head was suddenly wrapped around by an arm. I looked up. Trevor. He and his other pals teased me playfully.

"Why so down in the dumps, Little Vinny!" He ruffled my orange hair. Was he drunk, too? Maybe. I can't put my finger on it. Little Vinny. How I hated my nickname. Horrible. Just horrible. Wait a minute. How did he find out? Unless…Bailey told him… No. Couldn't be. Struggling out of his grasp, I forced my way out and got, as far as I could possibly get, away from them. I was walking backwards, making sure that they didn't follow me, turned and as I turned, I crashed into another person again. Bailey shrieked when her glass of beer slipped out of her hand, and shattered into pieces as it hit the floor. What was left of the beer splashed its content on my body. Groaning, I lifted my head to find myself on Darby. Darby. The little twit! How dare he interfere my business with Bailey! This was the second time!

His eyes flickered open and he gasped. That's it. Fear me, Darby! My fingers balled themselves into a fist, ready for some pounding time. It's all your fault, you loser!

"Darby!" I growled.

"…Vince…!"

Ignoring his surprised reaction, I yanked his shirt with my other hand and hoisted him up into the air. Then I pinned him to a wall with a loud 'thump!' I didn't care how hard I pinned him. He and I had some unfinished business! "That's it, Darby!" You ruined my chance of asking Bailey out, and you're gonna pay the price!" I hissed. He flinched at my words. Thrusting my fist forward, I grinned, satisfied, when it him in the cheek, forcing him to cry out in pain. Feel the burn, wimp. Feel it! I continued to beat him up, punching him in the eye and in the chest, until I decided he had enough. Let this be a lesson to you, Darby. Never, ever, ever, and ever mess with me! I released my hold on him, and he fell to the floor, too weak and battered to get back up. Smirking, I was almost going to send the last blow before finishing when the front door was suddenly, without a warning, burst down.

"Freeze!"

"Nobody move!"

I froze. Everyone else scattered like crazy. It was cops. Deputies filed out and tackled some of the party people, including me. Darby was tackled, too.

"Everyone here?" Who said that?

One of the cops who held at least five people in his hold answered his captain, "Not everyone, sir, but we did get a number of people surrounded in the entire house." There was a moment of silence before I heard the first one speak,

"Excellent. Put them in the cars." The deputies did as they were told, and led the other captured people out of the house, not stopping when those tackled cried out in protest. One even threatened to call her lawyer. I looked up at the man.

"Who are you?" I asked.

The captain, in a formal suit and tie, leaned down to Darby's and my eye level, and said, "Captain Sherman. And you two gentlemen—" he gestured to me and Darby, "—are in a lot of trouble."

* * *

Well, this chapter's a bit longer, and at the same time, I'm not pleased with it. But that's up to you folks. Any questions, thoughts, comments, or concerns you'd like to share?

Until next time,

Halo


	3. Chapter 3

**Playboy**

(3/6/13) Author's Note: …Um, hi. It's been a while now, huh? I deeply apologize for not updating. And I hope that this chapter will please you all to show that I am not dead.

* * *

Chapter 3

Red and blue headlights flashed at a quick pace, hurting my eyes that I thought I might have been going blind. One of the hands gripped onto my own, tightly bound together against the cool metal of the handcuffs they used to restrain me, and _pushed _me.

Still blinking from the multiple flashes that danced across my mind, I didn't pay any attention to where I was going. All I remembered of that moment, my feet instantly finding no ground, slipping off into thin air, and meeting the dirt and rock hard concrete with my face.

"Uhn!"

My hands were held up in the air in an awkward position. At least, in my opinion. Nearby, I heard another officer lightly chuckling, while the main one behind me struggled to get me onto my feet, "This one's not too bright." He added another laugh. I was about to respond harshly to his snide comment, when my head suddenly 'thunked' so loudly against the metal roof of the police car. The impact sent my head spiraling out of control.

"Ouch!" I yelled in pain.

He ignored my cry, shoved me in, and closed the door. Who on Earth were these people?! Couldn't they have at least shown any respect for Vince-man here? He circled the car before opening the driver's door where he got in, buckled his seatbelt up, closed the door, and started the engine with a swift flick of his key. Then he shifted the gear to "Drive," and went to the proposed direction. I couldn't see the cars zooming by through the small black gate set in the middle between the driver and passenger. It was in the way. But I looked out the window on my left, and saw the street we were on: Barbara Welch. Okay, that meant we weren't far away from the police station. Not good.

"You good back there, kid?"

Huh? I turned my head to look at the officer in the rearview mirror. He was smirking, no doubt. I had a feeling in my gut that this conversation would not go well. "Yeah," I firmly answered. To my surprise, he nodded, falling silent. With that, I turned my attention back onto the road, looking at each little building we passed by on the way. None of them were too interesting. Not one of them. In the corner of my eye, I spotted a blur of blue run by. I looked after it.

A woman, in athletic gear, her mousey brown hair pulled into a small ponytail, and white ear buds wedged into her ears, was running along the sidewalk. A golden-retriever dog matched her pace, tail wagging and mouth panting happily. What I wouldn't give to be a dog, to be free to do whatever I wanted. The duo eventually outraced us and turned around a corner, leaving a few leaves blowing around in the dust.

_Honk_!

Whoa! I suddenly lurched forward, and the top of my head met the back of the driver's seat.

"Watch where you're going!"

"Jerk!"

I could hear the officer in front of me mutter, "Idiots." Then he put the metal to the pedal, and the car started moving.

"W-what was that, man?" I asked angrily.

He kept his cool and just answered plainly, "Late crosswalkers. My bad." My eyes narrowed at how simple he put it. Like he didn't care. In response to that, I rolled my eyes.

Jackass.

* * *

The ride to the police station took, more or less, a half hour. I'll say that it wasn't a very pleasant ride. On the way, he turned the radio station to the classics where it was just violins and cellos, even flutes playing. Was he trying to make me miserable? Great. The least you can do, pal, is to put me out of my misery. See if I care. Hmph. Another thing to add to my unhappy list was that there were swerves about the road, and he drove _insane_. Made sharp turns here and there, which nearly made me want to throw up.

Or maybe it's because he has a girlfriend that enjoys this kind of music, and he wants to impress. Lovely. Maybe he's just a plain weirdo. Mmm. I'll go with option one and three.

Just as we arrived, he shut the car off, circled around to my own door, and pulled me out forcibly. When I was stable enough to stay up on my feet, he gave a strong kick to the door, causing it to slam. A hint of anger surged through me. If this were my car, he'd so be shitting himself for doing that.

"Joe! Who's the newbie?" A fellow officer nearby shouted out, almost sounding like a laugh. "What'd he do?" Joe…so that's what his name was…

'Joe' answered with a disapproving grunt, "Don't know, Jay. He was found partying with his friends, drinking beer at some girl's house. We didn't know about it, till a neighbor called, complaining of loud music."

The younger officer, 'Jay,' then leaned into my face, his eyes trying with all his might to stare into my soul. Whatever. It's not gonna work, anyway. He suddenly laughed, causing me and 'Joe' to flinch. Really, now? Was this the best time to laugh? I suddenly felt the urge to hit him in the face. "This one's a toughie. Tell me, kid. How was the booze? The girls?"

"…"

Okaaay… I wasn't sure of how to answer that to an _officer_. Truth be told, it was…okay. Not my type of party, but okay. It would've been great, if Darby hadn't ruined it! Before I could eventually answer, 'Joe' grabbed me again, bid 'Jay' a short goodbye, and pushed me towards the entrance. The last thing I heard of the young officer known as 'Jay' was the sound of his laughter. It was like he couldn't contain it, or even control it, for that matter. Once we entered the building, he led me to the front counter where an older officer worked at the computer. Upon our arrival, he lifted his head, tired eyes blinking like he hadn't gotten much sleep at all and watching my every step, and mouth yawning. Yep. He was tired.

Closer than what I had intended to be, I could see the thin lines that decorated both his forehead and his cheeks; short strips of gray hair peeked out from underneath his hat. I took it that he was a lieutenant. For the first time, he spoke, "Who's he, Joe?"

Like before, 'Joe' explained the entire situation, from the start of receiving the call, to finishing with putting me in the back of the car. When he finished, the older officer 'harrumped' and kept his small, exhausted beady eyes on my face, trying everything in his power to make me squirm. He doesn't scare me. Hah! I wasn't afraid of him. However, he kept that fiery gaze on me too long, that I started to feel uncomfortable, causing me to shift a little in my standing position. Don't look at him in the eyes, I repeated to myself. He somehow sensed that he was breaking through the barrier, and pulled away. Whew.

He broke the silence with a long, heavy sigh. "Just put him in the conference room, Joe. I'll tell Cap'n once he gets here." 'Joe' nodded, but before he could take me away, the older guy glared down at me hard. "You're in luck, carrothead." He added. Carrothead! So now, he was referring my hair color to a _vegetable_? Just as I was to retort to his insult, 'Joe' led me away from the center for the last time, flicking the light switch on, and shoving me across the room after unlocking the handcuffs when we got to a white room. Then he shut the door.

_Slam_!

Ow. "I expect a phone call!" I called after him. Composing myself and tenderly rubbing my wrists carefully, I looked around. The room, surprisingly, was very big. An overhead lamp shone on a table, accompanied by a wooden chair. On top of the table…was a bottle of water. Here I thought sarcastically by just looking at it, wow. There was nothing else in the room…so far. Just the table, chair, and a frickin' water bottle.

Letting out an angry sigh, I shook my head, made my way across the room, pulled out the chair, which made a screeching-like noise to the ground, like nails on a chalkboard, when it was dragged out, and sat down. It was eerily silent. Just me and a bottle of water. Maybe it could be my friend.

I twisted the cap free and drank. Mmm. This water was good. I drank more. By the time I finished, the container was empty. Drained of its original contents.

I didn't know when I started tapping my fingers on the table, waiting impatiently for my phone call, making the sounds echo throughout the entire room. All I knew was that I needed something to keep me occupied. After what felt like it had been a half hour, my eyelids began drooping. God, I felt tired. No. Keep alert! But my body was already shutting down. Maybe a little nap was all I needed. And so, I entered slumber land, my vision fading into nothingness.

* * *

_Bang bang bang_!

I awoke to the sudden loud noises, emitting from the door. I glanced at it, and narrowed my eyes. Ugh. The sound continued and continued and continued until I finally had enough.

"It's just me! Alone!"

Then it stopped. Finally, I remarked. Just when I thought it was over, the door flew open.

_Crash_!

Jaw dropping, I watched in fear as the door was blown off its metal hinges and hit a wall behind me. Suddenly, smoke started to fill in. Ohmygod. My heart was beating faster than its normal rate. Ohmygod, I'm gonna die. Before I could continue to plead for my life like a loser, I spotted a silver-gray giant…metal hand? Wondering what this was, I traced it to where it led up to, until…I reached its face. Or what it looked like to be a face. Wh-what was that thing? Oh God. The owner of this giant metal hand-like thing, its face came in last, peering in before settling its red hateful gaze on me.

As far as I could tell, it was made of many different parts. But that wasn't the case. Here I was, standing face-to-face with a _monster_. I think I just saw it smile creepily at me. Oh God. I was in a hell bit of a problem. Then it reached its dwarfing hand towards me, and the last thing I remember it saying was, "_Little vermin._" The shadow engulfed me, leaving me defenseless as I fought against the darkness.

* * *

"Aaaaaaauuuuugggggghhhh!" I screamed my way out of the nightmare, my fear filling the atmosphere. After screaming for just a few minutes, my voice lowered itself to short trembling breaths. I hate to admit it, but that was what I sounded like. And I didn't sound like a man at all. No later after I finished screaming for my pathetic life, I was aware that I was not alone in this room.

Hands clasped my shoulders, holding me still. Help me, please…Just let me die…

"Kid? You allright?"

I recognized the voice. It was 'Joe.' I looked up, only to see the police officers standing around me with worried faces. "Wh-where am I?" I stuttered.

"Kid, kid, kid. Calm down. You're still at the police station."

"What happened?"

They looked at each other uneasily.

The older officer repeated gruffly, "'What happened'?! What happened here was we were doing fine, until you screamed like hell. Didn't take us long to get in here. By the time we got here, we heard you saying stuff like 'No, get away from me,' and 'robot.'"

Wordlessly, I ripped myself free from their hands holding me still, and stumbled back onto my feet. Several hands tried to help me up. That dream…wasn't real. I just took a nap and this happens. So that meant… Oh dammit.

"Vince? Are you okay?" I heard this familiar voice. What? I looked around to find the person who said that. It wasn't long before I found him. He happened to be sitting in the chair at the table, troubled look overcoming his face. Jet black hair. One blue-gray eye clouded by a deep purple-blue wound, and the other unharmed.

It was Darby.

Before anyone could point out, I yelled out with my hand pointing at him, "What are _you_ doing in here?!"

* * *

Vince can be a total bitch sometimes. But in this chapter, I wanted to make him feel fear. Think of it as payback for what he did to Jack in the previous chapter. :) Tell me what you all think?

-Halo


	4. Chapter 4

**Playboy**

(6/17/13) Author's Note: Goodness, has it already been 3 months since my last update? TT^TT I'm just so lazy!

…Naaaaah, just blame Megatron for the incident XD **WARNING: BIG CHAPPIE~!**

* * *

Chapter 4

It was an awkward silence. Darby, in front of me, just blinked dumbfoundly at the finger I used pointing at him. Was it me or did I just see an annoyed look in his eye? Whatever it was, I wasn't used to it. And it angered me.

The older officer broke the silence by clearing his throat. I sensed he didn't take my outburst well. "Well now, if you're finished shouting, maybe we can tell you." I instantly flushed and returned the finger to its owner, hiding the whole hand from plain sight as I returned to my calm state. "This young man here, Jackson Darby, was brought in for questioning like you were, Mr. Ryan. Captain Sherman isn't here yet. He's out tracking the others that were at the girl's party. But when he does, he'll question you both. That clear now?"

I rolled my eyes. Great. Just perfect.

He somehow took it as a yes and said, "Good. Until then, there is to be no fighting among you two…or else. That particulary means you, carrot head." He made a threatening hiss to the nickname. A streak of anger shot throughout my body, the hairs rising in defense position. Again with the vegetable name! I just desperately wanted to come up to him and strangle his neck while shouting repeatedly that Carrot Head isn't my name!

Though I wanted to, I remained still.

"If he likes what you say being true, you're free to go. But if he finds evidence referring to your…_incident_, you stay here until your parent or guardian bail you out. Am I clear, boys?"

Quickly replying, Darby said, "Yes, sir."

He turned to me, expecting me to say something. Ugh. I didn't want to say it, so I settled with a forced nod. Sure. Whatever. Just get me out of here. He sent me a glance, bid the two of us luck and left. After the clang sounded throughout the entire room, I looked at Darby with the hatred fire in my eyes. Hnnnghh…the little twirp! Before he glanced my way, I immediately turned my head away. Hmph.

What does he want from me?

"Vince?" I heard him say.

"_What?_" I hissed.

"I'm sorry."

…He's sorry? _He__'s _sorry? For what? For making me lose my chance with Bailey? For being friends with those losers? For being born? This guy just wasn't going to stop.

I scoffed loudly, my head turned away, "For what?"

"Everything." You're too late, pal. No matter how many times you apologize, I still won't accept it. Period.

"As in…?" I trailed off.

"Everything. As in Bailey, you know." Oh, wow, could this conversation have gotten any lamer?

"Yeah, well, you're too late," I snapped, "It's your fault we're stuck in here."

"My fault?"

"Um, yeah."

"My fault?" Puh-lease. You know this as well as I do. "How is this my fault?"

"You should know this," I lifted a brow at this.

He said nothing and fell silent. Wordlessly, I did the same. In just seconds, it was quiet. The two of us looked different ways. I can't believe I'm saying this, but…I liked talking with him.

* * *

**Normal POV**

"They're still quiet, sir," the female officer summarized.

The older officer 'harrumped' and said, "Well, we'll just see how this goes before Sherman gets here," as he laid back in his chair in the Security Camera Operations room. They knew it was going to be a long night for all of them.

"Joe, pass me the donut, will ya?"

* * *

**Vince POV**

"So, uh…do you still have that old soccer ball?" Darby, out of the blue, seemed to ask. Was he trying to start a small conversation between us?

I did, actually. It was my most prize possession for kicking the most goals.

"Uh, yeah. Why do you ask?" I said in a deadpanned manner.

"Nothing. Just wondering."

"Cool."

"Remember how I got hit in the head numerous times that I had to sit out most of the season?" Oh, yeah. That was actually the funny, but hurtful part. But I still didn't say a thing. Maybe he could take the fact that I was giving him the silent treatment. I did give him a little nod, though. Maybe that could indicate I didn't want to talk no more.

"Or you dumping all that energy drink over me each time we won a game, though I was on the bench?" Ok. I'll admit. Darby's just trying to get us to be friends again.

I half wanted to and didn't want to. It's just that some part of me went back to the day we stopped being best friends. I remember it like it was just yesterday.

_We were, or at least I was, late to school and stopping at a stoplight for the other cars to pass. Everything was going just fine, but then—_

"Vince?"

I snapped out of my memories and blinked my eyeballs rapidly. What just happened?

Darby appeared in the corner of my eye, concern flashing at me through his one abused eye. I shook my head again, trying to clear it of bad memories. Thankfully, it worked like a charm. I settled my eyes on Darby, narrowing them to little slits. Why did he care so much? I just wanted to be left alone.

"Whatever," I snorted. I wanted him to go away. Be out of my life. Make sure he didn't exist. But truth was, he just wouldn't stop.

"Are you okay?"

God. God help me.

"Yeah." I grinded my teeth so hard. Stop talking to me. I heard him sighing with relief, letting his guard down.

"Good."

Ok…now what?

"She's not going to be happy about this."

Who? I twisted my head towards him, cocking it to the side in a questioning way, "Who?" His mom?

"My guardian."

I nearly did a spit take. He has a guardian? "Your _what_?" I asked suspiciously. I saw him flinch, alarm ignited in his one good eye. It was like I had him cornered. Why was he acting so weird?

He began to stutter, "I-I mean..oh, um…I meant, uh, I meant my mom…"

"Your mom…? I thought…your mom is your 'parent.' Not your guardian." I noted.

"Uh, um…yeah….yeah, that's right."

Hmm. Strange. Didn't think I'd see him this fidgety. "Whatever." I shrugged it off, to make it look like I was playing along. Then I turned my head away. Behind me, I heard him whisper to himself,

"Idiot. That was too close."

Now, I'm pretty sure I will keep an eye on this one. For all we know, he could be hiding something. And I was determined to find out.

* * *

_Here I was, standing face-to-face with a __monster__. I think I just saw it smile creepily at me. Oh God. I was in a hell bit of a problem. Then it reached its dwarfing hand towards me, and the last thing I remember it saying was, "__Little vermin.__" The shadow engulfed me, leaving me defenseless as I fought against the darkness._

_It surrounded me, as I fought with my every might to escape. I didn't know where the hell I was! Was I still in Jasper, Nevada? I have got to be, I told myself. I walked further ahead and looked around so many times, I couldn't tell for sure if I was dizzy or not. On the last shot of looking at my surroundings, which was still 'lights out!', I noticed a small dot of light in a corner, just peeking out at me. _

_What was that?_

_A figure stood by the light that gave him outlines. It was small enough for me to think of it human. I took another look, this time being much more closer, and I took a step back. Was that…was that Darby?_

_I took one more glance and verified it. Yep, it was Darby. What was he doing out here by himself? As if he recognized me staring at him, he looked in my direction._

"_You should run."_

_What?_

"_Run. Run before they trap you and bring you onboard."_

_What the hell was he talking about? "Darby—" I began, but I found myself cut off by a noise that I wasn't expected to hear. I looked behind me and found myself face-to-face with the same monster with the red glowing eyes._

…_Shit. _

"_Who are you, you lump of flesh?" it flashed open its sword. I couldn't find any words to say, and instead, I just stared at it, hoping to not flinch in its presence. "If you cannot speak, then die!" Oh, shit, shit, shit! I ran in the other direction, hoping to get away from the beast. I noticed Darby hadn't moved from his spot. What was he doing, standing there and watching me get chased down by a fricking monster?! The least he could do was help! _

_One of my feet caught something and I stumbled over, meeting my face on the damp ground. I looked up frantically and saw it coming for me! My heart beating thunderously, I picked at the trap I somehow got in and it wouldn't come off._

_Open, open, open, open! "Open, dammit!" I pulled and pulled, but it wouldn't budge! The robot-thing got closer and closer until I stopped and feared for my life. I didn't want to see it tearing me apart, so I closed my eyes and waited for the end._

_BANG!_

* * *

I suddenly came out of my slumber, sweat coming down my face. My breathing was not even. What…was…that?

Why was I dreaming the same thing again? Why was Darby in it? Speak of the devil…

Darby was still in his seat, his posture rigid and still as he stared at me through a concerned eye. Was…was he watching me? I grunted as I looked off somewhere else. God, I felt hot.

I took off my jacket and hung it over the chair I sat in, and tried to compose myself. "You okay?"

"Hmm?" I asked. "I'm fine. Don't ask me."

"Are you sure? It sounded like you had a bad dream."

"I _said_ I'm _fine_." I hissed out. Just leave me alone. Darby took it and looked away. Sighing, I shrugged my clothes around a little to cool my skin off from that, I had no clue what it was, nightmare.

I took a look around the room and noticed Sherman had not yet come. Ugh. I let my face fall onto the table with a low thump. When was he going to get me out of here? It had been over two hours since we arrived. What was taking him so long?

Just as I was about to rant why he wasn't here, the door opened, and a familiar frowned face came into my view. It was Sherman. And he did not look happy.

"My apologies, gentlemen, I was dealing with other matters," he closed the door, placed the stack of papers on the table, took his jacket off, and sat down. Um, I'm an important matter here, "Now, we're going to take this nice and easy. Does that sound fair?" Darby nodded his pear-shaped head, and I did the same without a word. He relaxed. "Good," he glanced at Darby, "Perhaps we should start with you, Mr. Darby."

Darby began to incline forward, waiting for the guy to start asking his questions. I rolled my eyes in annoyance. Great.

Sherman started off with a basic question like, "Are you drunk?" It made me laugh my ass off. Darby, however, was taken aback. Suddenly, I felt better.

"W-wha? No!" he cried.

Sherman began to write notes as he mumbled to himself and made a disapproving sound. Check one. "What were you doing at Miss Bridget's house on a school night?"

Darby quickly answered that, "She invited me." Really? I didn't know that, I thought sarcastically. Check two.

"Do you know what you're up against?"

"Giant robots," I heard him whisper, but after he said it, he moved on. He didn't register my surprise. Giant robots? What made him say that? Did this mean that he shared the same dream as me? "The law?" He asked more clearly. While Sherman laughed a little, wrinkles twisting into a small smile, I kept my eyes on him.

He was acting weird. What- _why _had he said giant robots? Did he have some relationship with them, if they were real?

"You are correct, Mr. Darby," he made the last few notes on his sheet of paper. "Shame the law is very heavily enforced these days. Did you have a vehicle of some sort that you brought to this party?"

"I used my blue motorcycle." Right. The one he called "Arcee." He must be more delusional than I thought.

"License plate labeled '4-0-7-A-B-J'?"

"Yes." This made him frown.

"Hmm. Now I'm puzzled even more, Mr. Darby. It says here you are the owner of this bike, but there are no records of you buying it or getting an official license paper of owning it. According to what I've been told from my resources, it's an unknown make. Is this true?"

I blinked. He had this bike for months, and all this time, it was an unknown make? What are you playing me around for, Darby?

"Y-yes, sir," he stuttered.

"And may I ask how you came to acquire it in your possession?" Yeah. That's what I want to know.

"It was found in a dump, and it was abused a lot," Darby began, "the guy who works there let me have it without any payment. Mom wasn't too happy to hear I got a new bike, but was kind of relieved when I told her I would be wearing my helmet every time I rode it."

That…is a reasonable explanation. But it still doesn't prove anything. Sherman looked impressed.

"Allright then, I'll give him a call later."

"No!"

His cry startled us both.

"I-I mean, you can't, because he doesn't live here anymore. He lives in, uh…Solabriekania." What now? What kind of name was that?

"I don't recall a country with that name, but allright," Sherman was confused, "Another thing to add is that your bike wasn't there when we arrived. But I'll talk to you later in private about that issue. Right now, you're finished. Thank you for your cooperation." He gestured that Darby get up, which he did, and opened the door for him. Joe was already standing there, arms crossed and his body leaning against the door frame.

"Finished already?"

Darby nodded. Joe smiled and took him down the hallway, their voices fading with each step. When they were gone, Sherman closed the door and sat back down. Now it was just him and me.

"Looks like it's just you and me, Mr. Ryan." He started asking me the same questions he did for Darby earlier and one by one, I answered them. One by one, he recorded them in his notes. I think he will let me out. I couldn't tell for sure. He kept on grunting and made other displeased noises. Either way, I hope I go free.

After a few minutes of silence, he put his attention on me and asked this final question,

"Do you know what happens, son, to those who lie?" He thinks I'm lying? Pathetic. But I answer it anyway.

"You throw them in jail?" PLEASE don't throw me in jail. He must've seen how scared I was at the thought of prison, because he laughed. Twice in a row I've been laughed at all night in my entire life. Argh!

"Well, yes. For this type of event, it will give you at least a day or two in jail. This is your first time, correct?"

"Yeah."

"Then we won't be hard on you. Tell me, Mr. Ryan. Were you and Mr. Darby friends?"

As usual, whenever someone mentioned friendship and Darby, I just turned my head away. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Oh? You won't tell me?"

"No."

I caught a gleam in his eye. What business did he have here bringing up the old friendship thing? Look, pal. It was great and fun. But it was a long time ago. Get over it.

"Ok. I won't pressure you, But I'm just curious. What happened?"

Well, I guess I could give him a hint, "We…had a falling out." Great. Now I sound like an old man. He nodded, understanding my situation.

"Hmm. I experienced the same thing a long time ago…" Oh no. Please don't explain. I've got too much to handle on my plate. "But that'll come for another time." He broke out into a huge grin. Whew. He stood to his feet, gathered the papers into a neat stack, and led the way to the door. "You two gentlemen have proven to be…trustworthy. Now, I take it that you never received a free phone call?"

_Yes_! "Yeah. The entire time I've been here, it's been worse. Look, man, I just want to go home."

"Then call your parent or guardian to pick you up."

"Y-you mean…?" No, no, no, no…

"Your car was impounded shortly after your arrest. If you want it back, you'll have to call the junkyard and pay the fee to get it back into shape."

My car impounded! I couldn't imagine it being squished and stomped on and everything and…ugh! My car! I dropped to my knees. My car…my precious baby…pounded into scrapmetal. This was…the worst nightmare of my life…

"I'm sure you'll be able to get it back," Sherman told me. "Now if you would," he gestured me to lead the way down the hall, but I never moved.

"Dude," I spat, "do you have any idea how much my car means to me?"

He didn't say a word. Ugh. Some of these days, the law enforcement was a really pathetic joke. Getting to my feet, I tried to thump my shoulder against his in an angryish way, but it never happened. Instead, I brushed past him, and he followed me from behind. Probably to keep an eye on me. Make sure I don't go anywhere. As I walked, I noticed several guards covering different sections of the building. Wow. Too much?

We arrived to where a telephone was stationed, in the nearest corner. I was going to use it right away, but I spotted Darby talking into it. His left hand in his hair. Face hardened into both a glare and fear. Who was he talking _to_?

I entered the room and caught up on what he was saying. He didn't even notice my presence.

"Look, I'm sorry, Arcee. This was totally my fault." A sigh escaped him.

Well, well, well.

"I didn't mean for this to happen. I promise it won't happen again. Okay." A pause. "Can you come by and pick me up?"

I could hear a very faint female voice coming through the phone as she responded back to him. I couldn't make out what it was exactly that she was saying, but I could tell it was a female. So this must be _the _Arcee? Hmm.

"Thanks, Arcee. One more thing. Can you make sure you don't mention this to my mom or Optimus?"

Again with the Optamush name. This guy must be well-known. Probably his mom's boyfriend or something.

Another sigh came, this time, a bit relieved. "Thanks again, Arcee. You're a life saver." Then he hung the phone up.

My turn.

He spun around, stopped to find me watching him, and left within a minute. Yep. I will definitely keep an eye on him. Shrugging it off, I approached the land line phone, dialed the number and waited.

And waited.

And waited.

Pick up, I ordered the phone. After a heartbeat or two, the line opened up with a voice, "Hello?"

"Hi, mom. I need you to do me a favor."

"Vince? Where are you? Are you okay? Are you safe? What's going on?"

"_Mom_, I'm fine. I'm at the Police Station."

Her voice dropped to a whisper. "Oh, Vince. You didn't get into a trouble again, did you?"

"No," I scoffed. "Of course not. They just brought me here to answer questions, that's all."

"I see."

"Mom, I know it's late, but can you come by and pick me up?"

"You have a car, remember? Why not use it?"

"Mom, it got impounded. They just told me it's at the junkyard and we're going to have to pay a fee to get back into shape."

"You did what?"

"I didn't do anything, I swear." I resisted the urge to yank my hair out of my scalp. Mothers! "Can you _please_ come and pick me up?" I emphasized the word so much. Hopefully, this should convince her I needed a ride home.

"…Allright. But make no mistake I will be telling your father about this. Meaning no phone, no computer, no T.V., no nothing for a month. Understand?"

No electronics. For an entire month! Oh, god, I was really screwed. "Yes, Mom," I said in a shaking voice.

"Okay…just stay where you are. I'll be there in a few minutes."

"Trust me, Mom. They're making sure I don't go anywhere."

"…Good. Just stay there, allright?"

"Uh-huh…" I trailed off.

"Allright, honey. See you in a few minutes. Love you."

"Love you too…" As much as I didn't want to say it, it was true.

"Bye."

"Bye."

The line went dead, making a droning noise to tell me that my call was finished. With a sigh, I hung it up on the rack, and headed back to the doom center. So much for the truth.

* * *

So much for updating. It could've gone better. Thankfully, I still got more planned out for Vince to discover. And...luckily, I updated. Stay tuned, my friends. :)

-Halo


End file.
